U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on June 22 that a U.S. airstrike killed three al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants in Shabwah governorate, southern Yemen on June 16. The strike killed one militant, Abu Khattab Saleh Baleed al Awlaqi, identified by CENTCOM as AQAP’s emir in Shabwah. Yemeni sources identified Abu Khattab as the deputy emir of AQAP in Shabwah. AQAP previously identified Sa’ad Atef al Awlaqi, who reportedly survived a U.S. strike in March 2017, as the emir in Shabwah. His status is unknown.[1]

Al Houthi movement leader Abdul Malik al Houthi addressed the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen on June 23. Al Houthi warned Saudi Arabia that its policy in Yemen and its strategic relationship with the United States reduce its safety. The statement condemned the Saudi economic boycott of Qatar and expressed solidarity with Islamist movements that Qatar supports.[2]

AQAP spokesman Khaled Batarfi released the fifth episode of his series “Stories of the Prophets” on June 22. Batarfi urged Yemenis to remain committed to their faith in the face of hardship. The series is part of an attempt to strengthen AQAP’s relationship with Yemen’s tribal militias.[3]

Saudi-led coalition warplanes struck al Houthi-Saleh forces in western al Jawf governorate on June 23, killing 12 al Houthi-Saleh fighters. Al Houthi-Saleh forces fired a ballistic missile at forces aligned with President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government in southwestern al Jawf governorate on June 13. Hadi government forces are attempting to surround Sana’a city by seizing the major roadways connecting al Jawf to the capital.[4]

Yemeni security forces foiled an assassination attempt targeting the Deputy Interior Minister, Major General Ali Nasser Lakhsha’, in Khormaksar district, Aden city on June 22. Security personnel dismantled an improvised explosive device (IED) near the minister’s home. Suspected AQAP militants killed the son of Major General Lakhsha’, Colonel Nasser Ali Nasser Lakhma’, in Lawder district, Abyan governorate in March 2017.[5]

Hadi government forces continued operations against al Houthi-Saleh forces in western Ma’rib governorate on June 22. Hadi government forces seized two major water wells in the area, killing 12 al Houthi-Saleh fighters. Hadi government forces operate in Sirwah district, western Ma’rib as part of broader effort to encircle Sana’a.[6]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Stephen Schwartz stated that the U.S. will establish a permanent diplomatic presence in Somalia with the opening of a new facility in Mogadishu in October 2017. The U.S. closed its embassy in Somalia in 1991 amid the Somali civil war.[7]

Al Shabaab detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) near a qat chewing house in Bardhere, Gedo region, southern Somalia. The attack killed four Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers and one civilian.[9]